Your credit score is a measure of factors that may affect your ability to repay credit. It’s a complex formula that takes into account how you’ve repaid previous loans, any outstanding debt, and your current salary.
A credit score is dynamic and can change positively or negatively depending upon how much debt you accrue and how you manage your bills. The factors that determine your credit score are called The Three C’s of Credit – Character, Capital and Capacity.
Character:
From your credit history, a lender may decide whether you possess the honesty and reliability to repay a debt. Considerations may include:
- Have you used credit before?
- Do you pay your bills on time?
- How long have you lived at your present address?
- How long have you been at your present job?
Capital:
A lender will want to know if you have valuable assets such as real estate, personal property, investments, or savings with which to repay debt if income is unavailable.
Capacity:
This refers to your ability to repay the debt. The lender will look to see if you have been working regularly in an occupation that is likely to provide enough income to support your credit use.
The following questions may help the lender determine this:
- What is your current salary?
- How many other loan payments do you have?
- What are your current living expenses?
- What are your current debts?
- How many dependents do you have?
FAQs
The term “3 Cs of credit” was popularised in the 1960s, but the principles behind the concept date back much further. The three C's are Character, Capacity and Collateral, and today they remain a widely accepted framework for evaluating creditworthiness, used globally by banks, credit unions and lenders of all types.
What are the 3 Cs for credit? ›
Students classify those characteristics based on the three C's of credit (capacity, character, and collateral), assess the riskiness of lending to that individual based on these characteristics, and then decide whether or not to approve or deny the loan request.
What are the 3 Cs of credit Quizlet? ›
The factors that determine your credit score are called The Three C's of Credit - Character, Capital and Capacity. Character: From your credit history, a lender may decide whether you possess the honesty and reliability to repay a debt.
Which of the three Cs of credit has to do with reputation? ›
1. Character. Character, the first C, more specifically refers to credit history, which is a borrower's reputation or track record for repaying debts.
Which of the three Cs of credit demonstrates your responsibility and willingness to repay your loans? ›
They are known as the “Three C's of Credit”: Capacity, Character, and Collateral: (1) Capacity: What is the individual's ability to repay the loan? (2) Character: What is the individual's reliability to repay the loan? (3) Collateral: What assets does the individual own that could be sold to repay the loan? 4.
What does 3 Cs stand for? ›
The 3 Cs of Brand Development: Customer, Company, and Competitors.
What is the meaning of Cs of credit? ›
The 5 C's of credit are character, capacity, capital, collateral and conditions. When you apply for a loan, mortgage or credit card, the lender will want to know you can pay back the money as agreed. Lenders will look at your creditworthiness, or how you've managed debt and whether you can take on more.
What are the three 3 types of credit? ›
The three main types of credit are revolving credit, installment, and open credit.
What are the 4 Cs of customer credit? ›
Character, capital, capacity, and collateral – purpose isn't tied entirely to any one of the four Cs of credit worthiness. If your business is lacking in one of the Cs, it doesn't mean it has a weak purpose, and vice versa.
What is the 3 credit? ›
What are the three credit bureaus? Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are the three nationwide credit bureaus. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), credit bureaus are companies that compile and sell credit reports.
When you apply for a business loan, consider the 5 Cs that lenders look for: Capacity, Capital, Collateral, Conditions and Character. The most important is capacity, which is your ability to repay the loan.
What are the 5 Cs of bad credit? ›
This review process is based on a review of five key factors that predict the probability of a borrower defaulting on his debt. Called the five Cs of credit, they include capacity, capital, conditions, character, and collateral.
Which of the 3 Cs is the major reason for authorizing a credit check? ›
The 'Character' component is the major reason for authorizing a credit check. Lenders want to assess your past behavior in handling credit and determine if you are likely to repay the loan.
What are the 3 C's of credit? ›
Character, capital (or collateral), and capacity make up the three C's of credit. Credit history, sufficient finances for repayment, and collateral are all factors in establishing credit. A person's character is based on their ability to pay their bills on time, which includes their past payments.
What are the 3 C's of credit Quizlet? ›
The following are the three C's of credit: Capacity. Character. Capital.
Which of the 3 C's would your gross income and rent mortgage information help show? ›
Capacity: Your underwriter will look at your ability to repay a loan by comparing your monthly gross income against your total monthly recurring debts.
What are the 5 Cs of credit in order? ›
The five C's, or characteristics, of credit — character, capacity, capital, conditions and collateral — are a framework used by many lenders to evaluate potential small-business borrowers.
What does Cs stand for in credit? ›
Conditional Sale (CS)
Select a term and make regular monthly repayments to repay the balance, it's that simple. As your interest rate is fixed, you have a guaranteed monthly payment, allowing you to budget with confidence. Once all the monthly repayments have been made, you will own the car. Free Credit Check.
What are the 3 main types of credit? ›
The three common types of credit—revolving, open-end and installment—can work differently when it comes to how you borrow and pay back the funds. And when you have a diverse portfolio of credit that you manage responsibly, you can improve your credit mix, which could boost your credit scores.
